A local court in Dong Nai Province’s Bien Hoa City yesterday sentenced an unlicensed nursery owner to 18 months in jail for her gross mistreatment of children.
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A local court in
Quang Thi Kim Hoa, 40, was charged with "deliberately abusing" children at her nursery in Quyet Thang Ward in the city of
The convicted childcare provider was fined VND7 million (US$438,000) in compensation for one victim.
Hoa stated in court that she had run the nursery from her house since 2004 and used a corridor as a space to babysit 10 children, aged 1 to 6, for fees of VND300,000-600,000 ($19-38) a month.
Each day, she put each kid on a 30cm high chair during mealtime and sat in front to serve each cooked rice. She used a ruler and a plastic comb, about 20cm long, to lash children who cried or did not eat on the head, face and shoulder.
Of her victims, Phan Thanh Dat and Huynh Thi My Duyen suffered injuries that resulted in disabilities.
Court documents show that Hoa’s nursery was once inspected last November and ordered to provide adequate space and services; however, Hoa ignored the request.
Despite her plea for a suspended sentence to take care of her two sick children, the jury rejected her request, citing her inhuman mistreatment of children over an extended period, which deserved a strict penalty and confinement.
(Source: VNS)
